Hi all,
Was diagnosed in Feb this year with high grade DCIS, 3 small tumours. Lumpectomy 3 weeks ago. Pathology report came up with not clean edges. The surgeon said I have two options, do another re-excision with most likely radiotherapy and endocrine therapy, or mastectomy.
I have a family history of breast cancer.
Has anyone been through this desición before? What was your experience like? outcomes? Thanks for sharing
Hello Paulina_gtzr
So sorry to hear you're on this journey too! I'm a bit further ahead of you but know only too well the twists & turns that can come along this road. I describe it as riding a rollercoaster blindfolded!
I was the same as you..my first op didn't have clear margins, so I went in for a second op but they didn't get clear margins that time either! DCIS can be multifocal and if you have dense tissue then it's hard to see in scans but also hard to see when they operate as well.
After my 2nd op, I asked for an MRI as I wasn't prepared for them to have another go at getting clear margins & still miss some. And just as well I did! It showed that the entire breast was diseased and a mastectomy was my only option.
Unfortunately my journey didn't finish there.. after two more recurrences , 5 more surgeries, radiation and endocrine therapy I have finally reached a 6 month milestone of no scans or hospitals!
I recommend radiation even if you have a mastectomy. People sometimes think that a mastectomy means it won't recur but the radiation really helps mop up any stray cells that could regrow.
I hope this helps ..being thorough is always worth while. I'd hate to think of what might have happened if they had got clear margins at my 2nd op. They would have stopped looking further and the rest of my story might have looked far worse a few months down the track!
All the best with your days and weeks ahead! There is light at the end of the tunnel!
